Heavenly Triad
by lavandalove
Summary: When Lucy suddenly vanishes without a trace Natsu and Co leave no stone unturned to find her. Meanwhile Lucy embarks on the adventure of her life unaware that her friends don't know what happened to her. The story that spawned Dreams
1. Prologue

**This is the story Dreams came from. It's set after the official end of the Fairy Tail manga, but before they set off on the 100 Year Quest.****This little plot-bunny attacked me months ago and still hasn't let up on me.****I'm gonna try to update at least once weekly. I have most of the plot worked out and at least half the chapters are almost finished, just need some editing. I do that on my own though and that sometimes means that by the time I'm through with the editing I've written the chapter anew.****Anyway, I hope everyone who reads this will enjoy it, I'm always open for comments of any kind, constructive criticism, suggestions, questions etc., so don't be shy to let me know what you think.****I'd also like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who has read and reviewed my previous short stories, I appreciate it very much.****I'd also like to answer one review on Dreams, that came from a guest, if you're reading this, don't worry, this is in no way, shape or form an evil Lisanna story. I love Lisanna, I could never make her evil.****Disclaimer: If I owned Fairy Tail or any of the characters Natsu and Lucy would have 30 children by now, lol. I just like to borrow them to mess with their lives a little bit. **

_Prologue_

Their last job had been a nightmare. That was the general consensus of Natsu's entire team as they dragged their tired and still healing bodies home. The dark guild they'd set out to eradicate had proven to be much stronger than anticipated and they'd met with a resistance that almost wiped them out.

In fact, Lucy had just barely gotten out alive.

Natsu still didn't know why, but the second they'd found out that she was a celestial mage, the dark wizards had been all over her. Natsu, Loke and Capricorn had fought them off as best as they could but in the end they'd been overwhelmed and Lucy had gotten kidnapped.

That hadn't gone over well with neither Natsu nor the rest of their team and they'd quickly gotten rid of their opponents and given chase. By the time they'd found their lair, it had been almost too late.

They'd needed exactly 2 and a half hours to find the dark guild's lair. By that time Lucy had been through hell and back. When they finally arrived they'd just barely made it in time to stop her from being sacrificed at some sort of altar. All around were signs of massive destruction. Arrows imbedded in walls, marks of a heavy sword or axe left on every surface in the room, sand everywhere. It didn't take a genius to figure out that Lucy had called upon Sagittarius, Taurus and Scorpio and that all three of them had fought with everything they had to protect their wizard. They'd also all lost.

Oh, they'd dealt their share of pain, that's for sure. The altar room was riddled with bodies. Lucy's spirits hadn't pulled their punches, instead they'd gone straight for the kill, so Natsu didn't understand how they'd lost. Sure, Loke and Capricorn were stronger, and Lucy had dropped their keys back at the abduction site, but Taurus and Scorpio were nothing to sneeze at, and Sagittarius always hit bulls eye. So how the hell have Lucy and her spirits lost?

They had no answer to that question because Lucy wasn't talking. She wasn't coping with her abduction and the fact that she couldn't save herself, that she couldn't even protect herself. The doctors at the hospital they'd taken her to had suggested that she see a therapist, she was obviously traumatised by whatever had happened and was locking it all inside. Natsu could understand it, at least partially. Every visible inch of her was riddled with bruises, cuts and scratches. Hell, the bastards had even gone as far as to cut her hair off.

When Natsu had seen his partner's bloody and beaten form he'd lost control completely. In a matter of seconds he'd managed to take out the majority of the members of the dark guild. Only the need to get Lucy to safety and to a doctor had snapped him out of his rage.

They spent a week in Hargeon where Lucy drifted in and out of consciousness in the hospital and Natsu almost climbed the walls in his helplessness. When she'd finally been released they set off for Magnolia, Natsu full of nervous energy, Gray, Wendy and Erza dead tired and Lucy still in pain and barely talking.

In fact the only things she'd said since she was saved had been muttered complaints about how weak she was. She wasn't listening to Natsu's assurances, didn't pay heed to whatever Gray and Erza were saying and just seemed to sink into depression more and more.

When they got to Magnolia she'd only shortly said goodbye and went straight home. Natsu also went home, but only to put away his luggage and take a shower, there was no way in hell he was leaving Lucy alone in her state.

By the time Natsu had cleaned up and seen Happy to Fairy Hills where the Exceed planned to stay the night with Wendy and Carla, undoubtedly to give Natsu and Lucy some privacy, it was pretty late. He wasn't surprised when he pushed the window to Lucy's room open and found her already fast asleep. He just smiled to himself while quietly taking of his outerwear, she needed the rest, and in the morning he'd sit her down and force her to talk to him. There wasn't a single thing Lucy couldn't tell him. He'd always listen to her, no matter what it was. So he's gonna get her to talk and get her to listen to him. He'd make her see that she wasn't weak, nowhere near it in fact. She was one of the strongest people he'd ever met. He just had to get her to realize that once and for all.

With that resolution firm in his mind, he slipped under the comforter and joined his partner in bed. In a couple of seconds he'd plastered his front to Lucy's back and buried his face in her fragrant blonde hair. Damn but she felt good, and she smelled even better. Natsu liked nothing better than his partner's scent. He could easily spend days wrapped around her soft form, breathing in that sweet intoxicating aroma of vanilla and mango.

Lucy murmured something in her sleep and wriggled closer to his warmth, before settling into a deeper slumber. Natsu didn't need much longer to follow suit, succumbing to the siren's call of dreamland.

After what felt like five minutes, but was in reality hours, Natsu was startled awake by a flash of light. Always ready to fight if it meant keeping Lucy safe, he sat up and looked around the room for any signs of intruders. But he realized quickly that Lucy was still the only other living being in the room with him and that she was giving off the light.

He watched for a few seconds as if mesmerised as Lucy seemed to glow brighter and brighter. It wasn't until her form rose up in the air that he snapped out of it. But it was too late. With another flash of blinding light, Lucy vanished.

For the longest time Natsu seemed frozen in shock, just almost vacantly staring at the empty, still warm indention in the sheets where the person he held most precious in his life had been peacefully sleeping just moments ago.

And now she was gone. He could no longer feel her magic anywhere. That bright spark of energy that had become as familiar to him as his own power left a cold, dark void in his mind and he came to with a snap.

Long, calloused fingers reached out to caress the quickly cooling sheets as he whispered her name. When nothing happened something in him broke and Natsu threw his head back, roaring in shock and anguish.

"LUCY!!!!!"

The enraged and devastated dragon slayer sat on the empty bed shivering in the aftermath of his worst nightmare coming true. She was gone. Lucy was gone. His partner, his best friend, the very air he breathed and she simply disappeared before his own eyes. He couldn't protect her. He'd failed her. Again. Twice now in less than a week he'd failed to protect Lucy… And now, now she'd vanished somewhere he didn't know where, didn't know how to follow.

For the very first time in his life Natsu Dragneel felt the bitter taste of hopelessness gather in his mouth. His chin dropped to his chest, eyes screwed shut to keep the wet in them from leaking out, he clenched his fingers into her pink comforter holding with all he was to the last dregs of his control. He couldn't lose it. There was no time. Lucy couldn't afford him to lose control.

She needed him.

In the end it was that thought that allowed him to pull himself together enough to get dressed and get out of her room.

He couldn't do anything alone. He needed help. He needed his nakama.

Running along the sleepy streets of Magnolia he knew that he had to hurry. Whatever had taken Lucy couldn't be allowed to keep her for long. He was going to get her back and when he did he would tear apart whoever had dared to touch her.

Suddenly a smirk appeared on his shadowed face and he stopped to look at the dark building that housed his guild's female wizards. If there was one person besides him who would stop at nothing to get Lucy back, it would be Titania Erza.

Those stupid enough to touch Erza's nakama wouldn't get to revel in their stupidity for long. The red headed Queen of Fairies would reduce them to dust in a matter of seconds.

**And so it starts. Next chapter will unveil what exactly happened to Lucy, so stay tuned. Please let me know what you think of this beginning on a hopefully unforgettable journey for Natsu, Lucy and the rest of Fairy Tail. **


	2. Precipice of Dreams

The night that Lucy disappeared Natsu woke the entirety of Magnolia in his frenzied attempt to find her. First he'd raced to Fairy Hills and once there proceeded to holler at the top of his lungs.

"Erza!!!" he'd started calling for his teammate from outside, managing to scare half the population of the dorm. "Erza, wake up and come outside!"

When this didn't magically produce the red-haired Knight, he'd lost the last shred of patience and turned the volume even more up.

"ERZA! Damn it, Erza, get out here!"

At this various females had started opening their windows just to see who was stupid enough to scream for Erza at the top of their lungs in the middle of the night. Most weren't surprise to see a mop of unruly pink hair and flames dancing in the fists of their guild's resident fire dragon slayer.

"ERZA!!!" he screamed again, obviously getting even more agitated and this time the dorm's front door swung open with a crash and Erza stormed out in full armor, and pissed to boot.

"What the hell is wrong with you, you idiot?!" she proceeded to scream at Natsu. "Do you have any idea what time it is??"

Natsu, just glad that his teammate had finally answered his call, ignored her enraged look, marched up to her, grabbed her hand and started dragging her after him.

Erza who wasn't having none of it, dug her heels in and ripped her hand from his grasp. "Natsu, explain to me this instant what is going on with you!" she demanded hotly.

"I don't have time to explain anything! Just come with me! Luce disappeared and we need to find her!" With this he once again made to grab Erza's hand but she evaded him and managed to clock him on the head with her fist.

"Slow down, Natsu! What do you mean, Lucy disappeared?" asked the red-head, obviously shocked.

"I don't know!" he shouted obviously exasperated at Erza asking questions instead of coming with him. "We were sleeping and suddenly she was swallowed by a blinding flash of light. Gone! Poof!" He threw his hands up in the air, gesturing wildly.

Seeing the true agitation mixed with a heavy dose of fear on Natsu's face, made it finally clear to Erza that the situation was dire. She didn't even reprimand him for sneaking into Lucy's bed again, instead just started walking in the direction of Strawberry Street, Natsu hurrying alongside her.

"I'm going to take a look at Lucy's apartment, maybe I'll be able to find some clues as to what happened. You go find Gray and Gajeel, I'll contact Mira, we'll all meet up at the guild in an hour."

Satisfied that something was finally happening Natsu didn't protest being ordered around, instead just nodded and set off for Gray's place.

The Ice Make mage wasn't any more appreciative to being woken up in the middle of the night than Erza had been, but just like her quieted his protests immediately when Natsu briefed him on what happened. Together they made their way to Gajeel's small house on the edge of town.

Once there they pounded away on the door until a thoroughly agitated Panther Lily opened up, a heavy scowl on his scarred face, sword drawn. His frown didn't lessen any when he found Natsu and Gray at the other side of the door.

"What are you two doing, making such a ruckus at this ungodly hour?" he scowled, but didn't get an answer as a Gajeel finally came out, obviously pissed at the rude awakening, Levy stumbling out behind him, rubbing her eyes.

"Salamander!" Gajeel growled and clenched his fists, obviously ready to beat Natsu to a pulp, but stopped when he saw Gray and the expressions on both the other males' faces. He stopped short of charging at Natsu and crossed his arms instead. "What happened?"

Natsu hastened to explain, impatient to get to the guild and start doing something to find Lucy. "Luce vanished," he shot out and color drained from Levy's face as she clutched Gajeel's arm to remain upright.

"What…?" whispered the petite solid script mage obviously shaken by the news. "How?"

"I don't know!" Natsu exclaimed. "There was a flash of light and then she was gone! Erza wants everyone at the guild in an hour so get going Metal-Face."

Gajeel for once didn't react to the taunting, instead both he and Levy turned to go get dressed.

"We'll be right out," Panther Lily murmured having turned back to his smaller self.

In record time all three were out and they headed towards the guild.

For the first time in a while, Natsu found himself praying. For Lucy's safety, and that he'd find her soon. Not even knowing what had happened to her was the worst part. She'd vanished right in front of him and he still had no clue what had actually happened.

'Please be safe, Luce,' he thought fervently, running full tilt in the direction of the guild. He'd find her, he had to. There was no other option. He'd get her back.

\--

When Lucy got home from the hellish job, she was exhausted and trembling from head to toe. The trembling was partly from exhaustion but mostly from fear. She was afraid like she'd never been before.

When she'd been captured she'd been optimistic and defiant, sure she'd get out of there. So she'd gone all out, unwilling to be the damsel in distress, determined to save herself for once.

She'd depleted her magic completely and summoned Sagittarius, Taurus and Scorpio at the same time. The first time she'd ever summoned 5 Zodiac Spirits in less than a couple of hours. The punch it packed was more than considerable. She'd barely remained on her feet as her Spirits went all out to defend her.

And it had seemed like she'd be able to get out of it. Then suddenly the tables turned when a man in priest robes entered the chamber. At first glance he was just an old bald man, with a long white beard, one that didn't seem entirely sure on his feet. So Lucy ignored him. That was her mistake.

She still didn't know how he did it, but with only a look he'd forced all three of her Spirits back to their own world, even though they'd fought against it.

That was when Lucy's nightmare begun. Exhausted and out of magic, she was easy pray for her remaining opponents. They'd caught her when she tried to flee and started stripping her. For a moment she'd need terrified that what they'd do to her would be worse than killing her.

Luckily, they stripped her, cut of her hair and tied her to the stone altar in the middle of the room. They had no interest in her body. They wanted her blood.

The priest had started some kind of ceremony, where they all chanted in an bizzare language and they danced around her for a while. After that the priest started cutting her. Every few words he'd draw his dagger over her skin. At first the wounds were superficial, as the ceremony progressed, the shallow cuts became deep plunges in her flesh with the dagger.

The exhaustion, the fear, pain and blood loss made her fuzzy, she couldn't think, couldn't even scream. She had no idea how long that had went on before a huge wall of flame had materialized between her and her attackers. When she'd seen Natsu she'd passed out, knowing she'd be safe. When she next came to she was in a hospital in Hargeon, Natsu and Happy asleep at her bedside.

It was over.

Only she couldn't really convince herself of that. For the whole week she'd stayed in the hospital she'd only felt safe when Natsu was with her. But they were back in Magnolia, they were home.

She should feel safe here, but all she felt was pure, unadulterated terror.

The people who'd done this to here were either dead or locked up for life. The old priest was dead, Natsu had seen to that. He couldn't hurt her anymore.

But knowing something logically didn't mean crap when it came to emotions. She was overwhelmed by everything, most of all by the things that went through her brain. Trying to battle it, she consciously went about her routine.

If she thought about mundane things like unpacking, sorting out her laundry, airing her room, preparing dinner, eating, cleaning up, she could force herself to calm down. And it seemed to work. She relaxed slightly, took a hot bath which soothed her aching muscles and still healing wounds, got in her pajamas, dried her hair and finally went to bed.

She even managed to fall asleep. And that's when the nightmares begun. She was back in that room, on that altar, her blood staining everything around her red. Only this time, nobody was coming to save her. She was going to die on that cold, unforgiving stone.

Then, the whole scenery changed and she found herself in the ruins of Magnolia, perfectly happy and content, with Natsu's arms wrapped tightly around her, just like after Acnologia's defeat. Everything was alright in her world, as long as she could feel those arms wrapped around her. Holding her, shielding her, cherishing her.

She woke for a split second feeling heat all around her and relaxed completely. He was there. There was nothing she needed to be scared of anymore.

Her dreams didn't bother her that night, with Natsu wrapped around her tight, she knew down to the roots of her being that she was safe from anything and everything. He'd never, but ever let anything happen to her. So, wrapped up in his sweltering embrace, Lucy slept like a baby.

When golden light bathed her in a warm glow Lucy thought morning had come and stretched her limbs, expecting to feel Natsu's arms tighten around her. When she felt only air she panicked. Her heart started beating faster and faster, her breath stuck in her chest and she knew she was hyperventilating. She needed to calm down, get her emotions in check or she'd run the risk of passing out. Logically she knew that perhaps he'd already gotten up, but he wouldn't be far, he never was. She needed to snap out of this, Natsu couldn't see her like this.

It was easier said than done and she couldn't do anything to stop her heart-rate from accelerating further, her chest tight and painful, breaths coming shorter and faster. That amped her panic further, the hellish spirale starting.

Then a voice cut through the fog of panic.

"Lucy, wake up!" the familiar, smooth sound jolted her into consciousness and she opened her eyes to be met with her concerned Lion and a backdrop of endless mist.

"L-Loke?" she stuttered out weakly. "Where am I?"

The leonine spirit smiled and sat down in front of her.

"This is the world between the realm of the living and the realm of the spirits. Those who come here died with a higher purpose."

"So, I'm dead?" Lucy whispered, unable to grasp the situation.

Loke just shook his head. "No, don't worry, you're alive. You're here because the Celestial Spirit King invited you to our realm, but you fought against it for some reason. That's how you ended up here." He flashed her a bright smile. "Welcome to the Precipice of Dreams."

Utterly confused and still feeling the aftermath of her panic-attack, Lucy could just stare at her Spirit. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Don't worry," he just smiled. "We'll go to the Spirit World from here and you're in for a big surprise." Another grin, this one cheeky. "And I promise it's gonna be a good one."

Somehow Lucy had the feeling that whatever mess she landed in now, it wouldn't be pretty. But that was the last of her worries as Loke grabbed her hand and the whole world spun out of orbit.

**And that's chapter one. I hope you're all enjoying it so far and will stay for a while. Thanks to everyone who read and reviewed so far. **


	3. The King's Offer

When her head finally stopped spinning, Lucy found herself staring at the entrancing if somewhat disorienting landscape of the Spirit World. No matter how many times she went there, she just couldn't get used to it.

Seconds later she had a minor panic attack when she thought she'd been transported to the Celestial world in her pajamas. This though calmed when she saw the familiar white and blue dress she'd worn on several occasions before. That meant that Virgo had changed her while she slept… Or she hoped Virgo had changed her, but decided against asking Loke, being happier not knowing.

"Loke," she called out hesitantly and he smiled at her.

"Yes, my princess?" he asked with his best purr and Lucy couldn't help but giggle. He was an incorrigible flirt, but he was kind and good and loyal to a fault. In him, she knew, she had a friend and protector for life.

"Why exactly am I here? And in the middle of the night, no less?"

Loke took a deep breath and raked his fingers through his unruly orange hair.

"Scorpio, Taurus and Sagittarius told us what happened to you on your last mission. I couldn't summon myself to you because you'd dropped my key and when Virgo managed to get through her gate, she'd been forced back immediately only catching a glimpse of you. When Aquarius heard what was going on, she pitched a fit, as you can imagine. So the King decided to offer you a chance only a handful of Celestial mages through history have ever been given. I can't tell you anymore, but the King will see you soon and you'll know what's going on."

Lucy didn't really know what to make of any of this. On the one hand it touched her deeply that all her spirits cared for her so much and that even though she still hasn't been able to locate Aquarius' key, her oldest friend cared enough to show agitation on Lucy's behalf. On the other hand, she wasn't sure if she even wanted to know what the King's offer might be.

All she wanted was to go home and curl up beneath her comforter and stay there for days. If at all possible with Natsu wrapped around her like a scorching hot, over-protective rope. After her last misadventure, she simply didn't feel safe, anywhere if Natsu wasn't there.

"I don't want to sound ungrateful," she started hesitantly, wrapping her arms around her stomach tightly and biting her lip. "But I'm not sure about this, Loke."

The concern in his hazel eyes almost undid her, but she managed to keep the tears at bay. Crying never helped anything. Crying only made everything worse. She needed to get a grip.

Oh, if Natsu could hear her thoughts right now. He'd lose his mind. He was always telling her how strong she was, how she wasn't giving herself enough credit, how she was so much more than she thought she was. And here she was being a weakling yet again.

But seriously, Lucy wasn't stupid. Natsu meant everything he said, she knew that, but Natsu wasn't thinking rationally. She was his best friend, his partner, he loved her and of course he thought she was the best person in the world. She thought the same of him. But where Natsu was everything Lucy thought him to be, the Lucy Natsu saw was only a figment of his imagination.

Natsu was strong, Gray was strong, Erza was strong. Hell, little Wendy was strong. And Lucy… Well, she wasn't.

"I'm not strong," she murmured and Loke's head snapped up, his eyes narrowing.

"Like hell you aren't," he growled and Lucy flinched, unfamiliar with such a forceful side of him.

He closed the distance between them and took her shoulders in a firm, but not rough grip. "Listen to me Lucy. I know that whatever happened to you must have been horrible, we all felt your pain here, but were unable to help you in any way. What you lived through wasn't your fault. You fought back. You tried everything you could to help yourself. There is no shame in that. There is no weakness in that."

This time Lucy couldn't hold back her tears as her frustrations rose and something in her snapped. She tore away from Loke's grasp, flinging her arms around in agitation as angry tears streamed down her face.

"I lost!" she shouted. "I did absolutely everything to save myself and I lost! Those guys weren't even that strong, they were ridiculously weak and they still beat me! If I can't even protect myself from something like that, what the hell am I good for?!"

"Stop that!" Loke bit out and Lucy could only stare. He never raised his voice at her, ever. "Stop saying that the woman who saved me, who put her own life on the line to make sure I could live is weak! Don't ever belittle yourself like that again!"

The pain in his handsome features was so stark that Lucy felt herself choke on guilt. Her spirits, those precious friends she held so close to her heart, never thought she was weak. They fought by her side without hesitation, protected her whenever she needed it and it wasn't fair to them how she kept putting herself down. She knew that. But she also knew that she needed to get stronger. A lot stronger. She couldn't always count on Natsu and the others to come save her. She wanted to save herself.

"You're right," she whispered softly and Loke smiled. He reached out a hand and caressed her shoulder down her arm to grasp her hand. Lucy didn't protest, she just squeezed back.

"Come hear what the King has to offer you," her Lion invited and she smiled slightly, brushing away her tears with her free hand.

"Okay," she nodded and followed him to where she saw the imposing form of the Celestial Spirit King towering in the distance. Her heart beat ever faster and anticipation kept trying to choke her, but she gripped Loke's hand tighter and walked without hesitation. If whatever the King offered her would mean getting stronger, she'd do it. Natsu, her friends, her spirits, they all deserved her giving her all to become stronger.

Above all, she owed this to herself.

XXXXXXXX

After the initial shock at the Spirit King's offer, Lucy started realizing that this may just as well be her one chance to become truly strong and not rely on Natsu and the others so much.

Three spirits with powers she couldn't even imagine could mean that the next time she faced a life or death situation she may just as well make it out alive without Natsu having to risk life and limb to save her. And most importantly without her having to ever again make a sacrifice like when she fought Jakal.

This was her chance to make a change to prove once and for all to herself and everyone else that she was a worthy member of Fairy Tail, that she wasn't the weak link in their super-powered team, that she could hold her own.

Determination surging through every crevice of her being, Lucy stared the King right into the eyes as she accepted his once in a lifetime offer.

"I'll do it!"

Behind her Loke let out a mostly silent 'whoop' and she smiled to herself.

"A very brave and wise decision, my old friend," the Spirit King boomed. "And if you succeed you will find that we Celestial Spirits reward human bravery very handsomely."

Then his entire presence seemed to darken as he warned her.

"I will open the gate of one of your spirits and allow them to accompany you for the duration of this quest. You will of course be able to call upon your other spirits as needed, but one will be your constant companion during this time and will help you in any way to complete your task, so choose wisely. If and when you find the keys, your quest won't be complete until you summon all the Triad as one. You must summon all three at once to make a contract. This will be the hardest part. I wish you all the luck in the world for it."

His entire countenance changed again as he smiled. "Now tell me, who shall accompany you?"

Lucy didn't have to think twice about it and grinned as she reached behind her and clasped Loke's hand.

"I choose Leo the Lion," she answered with a strong, decisive voice and the King smiled wider.

"An excellent choice," he boomed.

Suddenly a small golden key with a heart-shaped orange gem worked into the hilt, appeared in front of her face. She slowly reached out and took it, almost dropping it as she felt the pulse of the King's power from the small piece of gold.

"This key," the King called for her attention again, "will bind you and Leo together while you're on your quest. If you get separated he'll be able to find you and come to you through the key. Never lose it."

Lucy nodded, grasping the key tightly and the King looked down upon her for a moment. "Good," he murmured before he turned and walked away.

The only thought Lucy had while she watched him walk away was - holy crap.

**AN: And that wraps up this week's chapter. I hope everyone enjoyed it.****Reviews are to me what fire is to Natsu.****I'm just gonna leave that there. **


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